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Thursday, April 18, 2013

A to Z April Challenge: P is for Parmela

This is Day 16 of the A to Z April Challenge. My theme is women with unusual names although
I must cheat now and then or I’ll have a name and no story.

is for Parmela Eppard Samuels. She was my third great grandaunt, sister to
my 3G grandfather William Eppard, and thus sister-in-law to Helena Foland
Eppard (about whom I wrote for “H”).

Daughter of Johann George and Catherine Beasley Eppard, Parmela
was born November 1808 in the Naked Creek area of Rockingham County, Virginia,
in the heart of Eppard country. Even after she married Joseph Hiram Samuels,
Jr. on August 28, 1828, they remained
close to their Eppard and Samuels families.
In every census record from 1830 to 1900, their nearest neighbors were
Eppard, Samuels, Smith (lots of Smith-Eppard weddings along Naked Creek!), and
Jollett (Smiths and Jolletts married too).

Parmela did right by her first four children in giving them fairly common names to go with Samuel. Now number five....hmmmm....Greenberry Samuel. Let me take a stab at this one: l. craved blue berries but had to eat them green...time of year. 2. conceived beside blue/green berry bush down by Naked Creek. Okay...there ya go...you can pick the gender.

HA -- there has to be a story to that name, and your take on it is as good as any. But there were lots of "Berry" names in the Shenandoah Valley. I have a Mickelberry and a Berryman. I've seen a Brightberry in various records, but he's not mine.

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About Me

My name is Wendy. About twenty years ago, I helped my mother research the Jolletts. Since retiring from teaching, I have expanded my research which I share here. When I’m not looking for my own family, I index for FamilySearch and the Greene County Historical Society.
Welcome to Jollett Etc. Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have more information or believe we are related, EMAIL ME at wendymath at cox dot net